Sceptics among operators say the sleek, neon-coloured phones are overpriced for what is not an innovative product, cite a lack of marketing dollars put behind the phones, and image problems caused by glitches in the battery and software of the early models.

It doesn't get any better from there. Here are a few choice quotes:

"No one comes into the store and asks for a Windows phone," said an executive in charge of mobile devices at a European operator, which has sold the Lumia 800 and 710 since December.

"Nokia have given themselves a double challenge: to restore their credibility in terms of making hardware smartphones and succeed with the Microsoft Windows operating system, which lags in the market," the executive said.

"If the Lumia with the same hardware came with Android in it and not Windows, it would be much easier to sell," he said.

One device chief at a European operator [said], "We can open our stores to them and train our staff to sell the phones, but that's it ... Ultimately, Nokia and Windows are challengers and they either need to come to market with a really disruptive, innovative product or a huge marketing budget to create client demand. So far they have done neither."

Ouch! The really bad thing is that carriers desperately want Nokia to succeed. They don't want to have to bow down to Android and Apple. They want a third competitor so they can play them off each other to get better deals. They're not seeing it with Nokia and Microsoft.